Tom nixes plan to hire BBRC inmates in SRP

The plan of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to hire some prisoners of the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center to work in the Cebu South Road Properties will no longer push through.

This was after Osmeña the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Central Office reportedly did not act on his offer.

Osmeña came up with the program to reduce congestion in the city jail, which now has 2,583 detainees, more than ten times the ideal capacity of 250. Aside from decongesting the jail it will also give inmates an opportunity to earn.

The agency reportedly did not act on the mayor's request because of his attacks against the BJMP.

While city jail warden Efren Nemeño said he is not against the plan of Osmeña to hire inmates, he said that only 200 prisoners serving six-month sentences or those jailed because of violating city ordinances are qualified for the mayor's plan.

Nemeño acknowledge the program will be good for the inmates as they will have some extra income after they finish their term.

But yesterday Osmeña said he will no longer consider his plan.

"Forget it. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They get nothing from my office," Osmeña said. - Garry B. Lao/BRP